The One
by ijustkeepswimming
Summary: With Belle aware that she is dying, she calls Joey and begs her to come to her and Aden's wedding, which of course will leave Joey inevitably face to face with the woman she's been running away from for months...
1. Chapter 1

_Hi everyone! With Third Time's a Charm coming to a close, I will now start posting this fourteen part story. It's set at the time of Aden and Belle's wedding. Charlie is dating Angelo and Joey now has a girlfriend – what will happen when the foursome all meet? The Charlie/Ruby story hasn't and won't happen and it'll take a few chapters for Charlie and Joey to see each other again but I hope it will be worth the wait. Lots of love to you all and here's hoping you enjoy it, IJKS xxx_

***

**Chapter One**

"Hello?"

Joey Collins felt nervous as she waited for the person on the other end of the line to speak. It had been an unknown number and while those weren't the type of calls she was generally in the habit of answering, knowing that the trial of Robert Cruze was coming up at some point in the future, Joey braced herself to answer a few just in case.

"Joey?" said a female voice.

Joey furrowed her brow, trying to place the voice that she vaguely recognised.

"Yes," she said. "Who is this?"

"It's Belle. Belle Taylor, Aden's girlfriend?"

It came out as more of a question than a statement, as if she didn't expect Joey to remember her. Of course she did. Belle and Aden had been so good to her after her ordeal with Robbo and had been the people who had essentially press ganged her into talking to the police about the attack in the first place or, namely, talking to one police officer in particular. Senior Constable Charlie Buckton had turned Joey's world upside down a multitude of times before finally breaking her heart into a million pieces. Charlie was the reason she was in this place, at this time. She had been the reason for most things in Joey's life for a while. But not anymore.

"Belle!" she said. "How are you?"

"I'm... I'm good," she said a little unconvincingly. "I'm ringing about Aden."

Joey was immediately alarmed.

"Is he okay?"

"He's fine," Belle said quickly. "It's just that we're getting married. Next week."

"Congratulations," Joey said automatically.

"And I know Aden would kill me if he knew I'd found your number to call but I also know how much he would love you to be there."

Joey swallowed. The thought of coming back to Summer Bay was abhorrent to her. She'd been due back a month ago and changed her mind, with some help. She always needed help. After a long time of grieving for her relationship with Charlie, the love of her life, Joey had been determined to move on and forget her. She had hoped that in three months, they'd be back on speaking terms but things hadn't quite turned out that way and now everything was over for good. Charlie had broken her heart one too many times and she was sure there was no way to work things out. She was sure she didn't want to, although in the privacy of her daydreams, she still missed her. It was strange how someone who had been so good for her could also be so terribly bad. And by the time her trawler was due back in, so many things had changed for Joey that returning was redundant. There was no need to see Charlie again. There was no need to go home. There was nothing to work out.

"Would you come?" Belle asked, after a prolonged silence. "I know things were pretty bad when you left but it really would mean the world to Aden if you were at the wedding."

On her end of the phone, Belle twisted her fingers in her lap, thinking much further ahead than her special day. Aden would love to see Joey there as he stood up in front of Summer Bay and said his vows but he would also need support at some point down the line when Belle was gone and he was alone. She didn't know when it would happen but she was aware that it would be soon. And while she knew that her family would gather around him and that Nicole would be by his side, Belle wanted her soul mate to have everything he needed. His friendship with Joey had been brief but intense and he still spoke of her often. She meant the world to him and she was someone he could really talk to. Belle knew that when the time came, he would need someone who could take care of him and she couldn't think of anyone better suited to the job than Joey Collins.

"Belle, I don't know if..." Joey started.

"Please!" Belle said a little too desperately. "He's devastated that Roman's not around and he doesn't really have any family of his own."

"Why won't Roman be there?"

"He's in jail."

"Jail?" Joey said, a little high pitched.

"It's a long story," Belle said. "The point is that aside from Nicole, you're pretty much the closest person to him. I know how much he wants you there. He just won't ask you because of everything with... well, you know."

Joey nodded even though Belle couldn't see her. She conjured up Aden's face so clearly, remembering how she had broken down and told him the truth about Robbo raping her. He'd sat on the wharf and held her while she sobbed. He'd supported her and been relentless in his love and friendship. She pictured him in his suit on the most special day of his life without any of his family there. While it had never occurred to her that she was of any particular importance to him really, she had never thought of herself as being of importance to anyone, but if Belle said Aden wanted her there then she could hardly decline.

"I'll be there," she said.

"Really? Oh, that's wonderful! Thank you, Joey. The wedding is next Friday."

"Count me in."

"That's such wonderful news! He's going to be thrilled!"

Belle considered telling Joey about Charlie dating Angelo. She felt that she ought to warn her. But knowing that, Joey might not come and as awful as it seemed in her head, she couldn't take the risk of Joey not being around for Aden when he needed her. She thanked Joey again and hung up.

"Where will you be?" Gray asked.

Joey hung up the phone and climbed back onto the bed where her girlfriend was stretched out lazily.

"I need to go back to Summer Bay," Joey said awkwardly.

Gray raised her eyebrows.

"Why exactly?"

"My friend..."

"Not Charlie?"

"No, not Charlie," Joey said quickly. "My friend Aden, he's getting married. That was his fiancée. She was ringing to beg me to come. He doesn't really have any family or guests that are just his own. Would you mind?"

Gray sighed. She fixed her eyes on her partner, definitely not relishing the idea of returning to a town where they would bump into the one woman who, if she played her cards right, could easily steal Joey away from her. But looking at the nervous hope on Joey's face she had no choice but to give in and she'd rather go there _with _Joey than let Joey go by herself.

"When do we leave?" she asked.


	2. Chapter 2

_And now we'll see the world from Charlie's perspective for a little bit... Enjoy! Oh and if you have seen Confessions of a Shopaholic, the 'trout' thing is where my friend and I got told off in the cinema for laughing too much. And if you haven't seen it... see it! It's awesome! Anyway, I hope you like it._

**Chapter Two**

Charlie and Ruby sat at home alone having a sibling evening like they tried to do every now and again to ensure that they never fell out of sync with each other's lives. Tonight consisted of pizza, _Confessions of a Shopaholic _during which they had erupted into peals of laughter at the word 'trout' and now the two girls were curled up on the sofa chatting.

"How are you feeling about Dad and Morag visiting?" Ruby asked.

Charlie shifted uncomfortably. She wasn't looking forward to it at all. It meant that she had to come out and tell them that she was dating Angelo Rosetta, the man who had, albeit accidentally, killed Jack, a member of Morag's family.

"I guess I just need to get it out of the way," she said.

"Well, if you will get into unconventional relationships, Charlie..." Ruby scolded playfully.

Charlie gave her a stern look, silencing her. It was true though. Not so long ago, Charlie had thought she'd be bracing herself to tell her father and step-mother about dating a woman, not dating a killer. But then she'd make the biggest mistake of her life and let her old relationship slip away from her.

"Charlie, do you mind me saying something?" Ruby asked.

"As if me minding has ever stopped you before," Charlie teased.

Ruby stuck her tongue out and then continued, trying to find the most delicate way to share what was on her mind. Realising that her sister was struggling, Charlie nudged her on.

"What is it, Rubes?" she asked.

"Well, it's just that... you don't seem that into Angelo."

"I am!" Charlie protested a little too quickly.

Ruby just raised her eyebrows.

"I am," Charlie said more softly and reasonably. "I am."

"Well, it hasn't exactly been fireworks, Charlie."

"I've been trying not to rub people's noses in it," Charlie told her. "It's not as if Angelo's the most popular guy in the world."

"But Jo... Your previous relationship was a complete secret and there were more fireworks," Ruby said, awkwardly.

Charlie was grateful that Ruby hadn't actually said her ex-girlfriend's name. It still hurt even though she was supposed to have moved on.

"That was different. It was..."

"Love?" Ruby challenged.

Charlie blanched and looked at her sister, wondering when she had become so perceptive.

"I did love Joey," she said. "I could love Angelo. I don't... yet. But one day I might. I will. I could."

"But not yet?"

"No."

She shrugged.

"Maybe I'm just not that kind of person. Maybe I don't fall in love. Some people are like that, you know."

"But you loved Joey," Ruby pointed out. "And that happened in what, a day?"

"Not quite a day, Ruby," Charlie frowned.

But she was right. It had been almost instantaneous. Joey had become a part of Charlie's soul almost from the first moment she'd met her. It had terrified her but it had essentially been easy for Charlie to fall in love with her. She was the most wonderful person on the planet, as far as Charlie was concerned. How could she have helped it? Joey was the first and only person that Charlie had been so open and free with. She'd said 'I love you' several times. She'd been affectionate. She'd shared all kinds of secrets and musings of her heart. She'd been comfortable with her, at least in private. And she'd been happy. That is, until she'd messed everything up. One moment of doubt and fear had overtaken her and Charlie had lost her forever. The day Joey had sailed away from her, a part of Charlie had died. She knew this was what Ruby was referring to now.

"All I mean is that you're not the same with Angelo as you were with... with her. You've never been like that with anybody before, not like you were with her."

"So?" Charlie finally asked, deflated. "What does it matter now, Ruby? She's gone. She said she'd be away for three months and she didn't come home. What am I meant to do but try and move on?"

"But why be with someone if you don't care about them?"

"I do care about Angelo!" Charlie said defensively.

"Okay, sorry," Ruby said, backtracking. "I know you do. I know you care about him. But it's not in the same way, is it? I'm right about that?"

Charlie sighed and downed the rest of her wine. She turned to face her younger sibling.

"Okay, I'll be straight with you, so to speak," she said, cracking a smile. "I have never and I will never feel about anybody the way I feel... felt about Joey. I was completely, madly, incoherently in love with her. And I hate that I let my issues about what other people thought, wreck the best thing that's ever happened to me. I don't love Angelo. I didn't love him when we were together before and I don't love him now. I've tried. It's just not there. But I do care for him. And while it's different with him, while I might not be the person I was with Joey when I'm with him, he does make me happy. He's sweet and he's kind and it seems like he'd do anything for me. Even if I don't love him, I think he loves me. And that's enough for now."

Ruby nodded, moved by Charlie's honesty. She was rarely the kind of person who would be so open about her emotions.

"Sorry for pushing you," she said. "But I'm glad you told me how you feel."

Charlie nodded and reached to hold Ruby's hand.

"Thank you for pushing me," she said. "It's good to get it out of my head and into the world."


	3. Chapter 3

_The reason Gray is called Gray is because I happened to be watching Gray Matters at the time – if you haven't seen it, do, it's great! But yes, her name will be explained in this chapter. But in a show with characters such as Mink and Rabbit, she's not so out of place! I hope you like the chapter. Thank you, as ever, for all your wonderful reviews. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Three**

Joey was nervous as she and Gray got closer to Summer Bay. She'd spoken to Belle again and found out that if they arrived today, they would be able to make it for Aden's buck's night. Even though it would be hard to come back to the Bay, she was looking forward to seeing her friend and colleague again and a night of drinking and catching up with him. She was pleased that Gray had agreed to come with her. It made her feel protected to come back to her home with her girlfriend. Part of her wanted to parade Gray around and show Charlie that she had moved on and could do better. She wanted to show her that even though Charlie had broken her into a million pieces, she was healed now and she was stronger for it. And she'd certainly struck gold with her girlfriend. She was nothing short of beautiful and she could charm anyone and anything. But part of Joey felt guilty for taking Gray with her. She didn't know how Charlie was or what she was doing with her life. Her last image of Charlie was her sobbing on the docks as Joey left. Joey doubted it but it was possible that Charlie hadn't moved on and still missed her. In all honesty, she had no idea what to expect or if she'd even see Charlie. But she was glad to have Gray. The two women had worked on the trawler together and instantly become friends. With so much in common, like a love of boats and being out on the water, the same type of music, a difficult family background and a broken heart each, friendship was the obvious solution for them both. Joey had grieved for Charlie for months. She'd been waiting to come home and see her, perhaps to even try and work things out. But eventually, things had developed between her and Gray. It had frightened her at first and after what she assumed was a one night stand, Joey had been terrified of losing Gray and Charlie both. But after a lot of talking, Joey had realised that Charlie had damaged her too badly to ever allow them to be together again and the smartest, safest thing she could do was leave her and be with Gray. So that's what she had done. Now, coming back to town to face her demons, Joey found herself regretting not writing to Charlie to tell her what was happening. She had drafted the letter so many times but never finished and sent it. She'd been a coward and not known what to say. But if she'd have been brave and sent the letter, perhaps they could have gained closure and things wouldn't be so terribly awkward when they inevitably came face to face.

"Have I lost you?" Gray asked, shifting her gaze briefly from the road to her partner.

Joey turned and smiled. Gray was lovely. She was pretty and athletic and she had beautiful eyes. They were a startling shade of grey, hence her name. Joey also appreciated the fact that Gray knew what she wanted in life. She said what she meant and meant what she said. After Charlie's constant, if sometimes unintentional game playing, having someone be so direct and honest about their feelings was a refreshing change. She never had to analyse her girlfriend to figure out what was really going on. If she was angry, she was angry. If she was happy, she was happy. It was as simple as that. It was easier. And Gray was loving as well. She brought home little gifts for Joey if ever she found something randomly cute that reminded her of her. It was nice and they were content. After their stint on the trawler was over, they'd settled themselves in another beach town, not dissimilar from Joey's old home. Joey had a job on a trawler and Gray was working as a tour guide. They rented a little apartment together and not once had Gray made Joey ever feel ashamed of their relationship.

"Just daydreaming," Joey said.

She reached out and held Gray's hand across the seat.

"Are you worried about seeing her?"

"Yes," Joey admitted.

There was no point lying. Of course it would be hard to see Charlie after everything they had been through.

"It'll be okay. And I'll be there to support you."

Joey smiled gratefully.

"I'm quite interested to meet this chick, if I'm being completely honest," Gray said.

Joey eyed her curiously.

"Why?"

"Well, she was the girl who stole your heart before you gave it to me. And having watched you, while we were just friends, trying to get over her... well, I'm interested to find out what's so special about her."

"Well, that part of my life is all over now," Joey said. "I'm just here for the wedding and then we can go home, back to our lives, back to everything we know and love."

"I love you, Joey," Gray said.

Joey leant across the seat and kissed Gray's cheek affectionately. They passed a sign welcoming them to Summer Bay.


	4. Chapter 4

_Just to let you know, Charlie and Joey will meet again in the next chapter. For now, they're both oblivious as to what is to come. Enjoy – and thank you so much for all your wonderful feedback! Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Four**

Charlie and Angelo sat together in the Diner eating dinner. In the morning, Ross and Morag would be returning to the Bay in order to attend Aden and Belle's wedding. That meant it was crunch time. Charlie had to admit to her family that she was dating a man they hated and distrusted. It made her sad to think about how they felt about him. Once upon a time, she'd felt the same. He'd killed Jack. He'd hidden the truth and supported his grieving wife through the funeral. But he wasn't a bad guy. She didn't think he would ever stop hating himself for his mistakes. And it had been a mistake. It hadn't been murder. Jack's death had been a tragic accident. But people were still struggling to think that way and he hadn't been invited to the wedding.

"I've got a surprise for you tomorrow," Angelo told her with a grin.

She eyed him curiously. He looked as excited as a child. The conversation she'd had with Ruby the night before flashed into her mind. She felt sad that she didn't love him. She wanted to. But it didn't feel like something she would ever be capable of.

"Tomorrow?" she said. "The wedding's tomorrow."

"After the wedding," he said. "I'll meet you at the Diner and then I have a surprise."

"What kind of surprise?"

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, would it?" he said, teasing her for her impatience.

She smiled, still intrigued and continued eating.

* * *

Joey and Gray arrived in the caravan park. It seemed like the cheapest option when it came to staying for a few days. One of the last nights Joey had been in town, she'd come to the caravan park. She'd been wandering around, having just found out about Charlie's infidelity and come across a fire. She'd helped with the effort to rescue Geoff and some girl he'd been dating. Claudia, she thought her name was. Charlie had arrived in an official capacity and tried to talk to her but Joey had been too wounded to listen. Parking, they approached the main house and knocked on the door.

"Joey!" Miles said in surprise when he saw her.

She smiled and greeted him.

"I know it's short notice but is there any chance you've got a spare van for the weekend?" she asked.

"I'm sure I can find something," he said cheerfully. "Come on in."

Joey led Gray inside and then introduced the two of them.

"Please to meet you," Miles said politely.

He studied the booking in book.

"Aha!" he said. "Van number seven should be all clean and tidy for you."

"That's great, thanks."

She paid a deposit, said goodbye, accepted the keys and then she and her girlfriend went to make themselves comfortable in their temporary home.

* * *

"Have you figured out how you're going to tell your Dad and Morag about us yet?" Angelo asked.

He and Charlie had taken a slow walk back to her place together to work off their large lunch. She accepted when he caught hold of her hand.

"Not exactly," she admitted.

"Well, do you want me to be there?" he asked. "Would that help?"

She shook her head, certain that it would only make things worse. Part of her just hoped her father would fly in and fly out again and not stop long enough for her to admit the truth. But she knew that Angelo saw it as a big step towards them being official and accepted as a couple. It meant a lot to him to have his relationship with her validated. She supposed he needed her to stand up for him, for them. She just hoped she could.

* * *

Joey chuckled at the way Gray obsessively unpacked their belongings as if they were staying in town for years instead of days. Stretched out on the bed, she remained amused as Gray pouted. Joey was a 'living out of her rucksack' kind of girl, a character trait that thoroughly irritated her girlfriend. Gray was keen on setting down roots and being domesticated. Joey lived her life as if she were always ready to run. Gray silently found it unnerving and no less now that they were back in the same town as the woman who had broken her girlfriend's heart. She'd seen pictures and the police officer was undeniably hot. Gray couldn't help but worry that this trip would cost her the girl she loved most in all the world.

"Stop laughing at me!" she scolded.

"Make me!" Joey teased as Gray approached the bed.

She pulled her in for a kiss and they toppled back on the mattress together.

* * *

Charlie kissed Angelo goodbye. He'd been keen to stay over but with her father arriving early in the morning and his first stop being likely to be the house she shared with Ruby, Charlie hadn't wanted to risk them being caught out before she'd had a chance to explain. Sulkily, he kissed her again and went on his way, excitedly reminding her of the surprise he had in store the next afternoon.

* * *

Aden shrieked the moment he walked into the Surf Club and found Joey sitting at a table waiting for him. Bounding up to her, he gathered her into his arms and spun her around. She laughed in response, as did Gray and Belle. Setting her down on the floor again, Aden pulled himself together but couldn't keep the smile from his face.

"Joey, what are you doing back here?" he asked, obviously elated.

"Well, someone might have mentioned you were getting married," she told him, smiling at Belle. "And how on earth could I miss your wedding?"

Aden turned to his fiancée.

"You arranged this?" he asked, sitting down.

Belle came to sit beside her.

"I went through your phone," she admitted, hoping he wouldn't be angry.

He hugged her tightly.

"And who's this?" he asked, turning his attention to the stranger at the table.

"This is Gray," Joey said. "My girlfriend. Gray, this is the infamous Aden and this is wonderful Belle."

The three of them shook hands before Belle excused herself. This was Aden's buck's night and she was meant to be having her last night of freedom with the girls. She kissed her fiancé goodbye and he headed up to the bar to get some drinks in.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Charlie lay alone in bed unable to sleep. She had chosen not to go out with the girls. She didn't really know Belle all that well and she felt like she had too much on her mind to really concentrate on celebrations. She wondered how her father would take the news of her relationship with Angelo and she had rehearsed what she was planning to say over and over again until she got it so word perfect that it sounded almost emotionless. Still, she thought to herself, at least Angelo was a guy. She still had no idea how her Dad would have coped if she'd have managed to stay with Joey long enough to introduce them. She'd been afraid then, like she was now, of disappointing her Dad at this particularly difficult time in his life. She didn't want to let him down. She didn't want to hurt him. It was almost ironic that just at the moment he'd mellowed out and become the loving father she'd craved her whole life, that she was potentially making decisions that would damage their relationship.

* * *

Joey woke with a start at the sound of someone banging loudly on the caravan door. Her heart immediately leapt into her throat and she was gripped with fear. Even in their new home, she worried about Robbo breaking out of jail and finding her so to have someone intruding on their sleep during their first night back in Summer Bay, she immediately felt sick with panic. Gray woke and gently touched her arm, assuring her that everything was okay. She slipped out of bed and was surprised to find a tearful Aden on their doorstep. Welcoming him inside, she flipped the light on. Joey sat up quickly and guided her friend onto the bed, putting her arms around him and asking if he was okay.

"Belle's dying," he sobbed.

Joey froze, picturing some horrible accident and wondering why Aden had come to them instead of being at the hospital. He looked at her, heartbroken.

"She's got cancer. She's dying of cancer and she didn't tell me."

Joey didn't know what else to do so she hugged him tighter. Gray set about making tea to calm them all down.

"How can I marry her now I know?" Aden asked. "How can I marry her and lose her?"

"Because you love her," Joey said.

He gazed into her face, willing to hear anything she had to say.

"Aden, Belle is your whole world," she said. "She's obviously going through hell and I imagine she didn't tell you because she was trying to protect you. But she's let you in now and she needs you more than ever. If you love her... When you love someone, you don't abandon them when they need you. You hold them close and you support them. You promise them that everything is going to be okay, even if it isn't. You love them through everything."

Gray brought their drinks over and sat down.

"I know you're in agony," Joey continued. "I can hardly imagine how much. But you're going to go to sleep and then tomorrow, you're going to wait for Belle to walk down the aisle and into your arms. Okay?"

He nodded and took a deep breath.

"Sorry for barging in on you," he said weakly, although neither of the girls minded.

* * *

The following morning, Charlie woke up early and left a note for Ruby and Leah to say that she'd gone for a run but would be back well in time to receive Ross and Morag and leave with them to go to the wedding. In her sports gear, she jogged down to the beach, enjoying the fresh air and the sunshine. It was a lovely day for a wedding. Her feet pounded along the sand and she focussed on the space ahead of her. There were a couple of runners in the distance, obviously also enjoying the early morning. She couldn't help but remember the fun times she and Joey had shared when they'd gone out running. They'd raced each other like children and arrived back at home in fits of laughter. She'd attempted to be coupley with Angelo and do the same thing but somehow, it just wasn't as entertaining. Looking at the runners ahead of her and smiling to herself, she suddenly recognised one of them and stumbled, landing hard on the sand. She hit her head and thought she was suffering a severe and painful delusion when she heard Joey's voice. Hands pulled her into a sitting position and sure enough, Joey Collins, the love of her life, was gazing back at her with a mixture of shock and worry on her face.

"Joey?" Charlie managed, almost inaudibly.

"Hi, Charlie," Joey replied.

The third woman pulled back and frowned. Joey looked awkward.

"What are you...? I mean, how...?" Charlie tried.

"I've come back for Aden's wedding," Joey explained.

They gazed at each other in startled confusion. The other woman cleared her throat.

"Oh, this is Gray," Joey said quickly. "My uh..."

She trailed off. She didn't need to finish the sentence. It was plainly obvious who Gray was.

"Nice to meet you," Charlie said awkwardly. "I'm Charlie."

"Likewise," Gray said politely, shaking her hand.

"Are you okay?" Joey asked.

Charlie blushed, realising that she must have looked like an idiot crashing to the floor like that.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she lied.

Her head was already starting to throb.

"I just... tripped."

Joey stood and extended her hand in order to pull Charlie up. A physical spark flickered between them as their skin touched. Both ignored it, their hearts in their throats as Charlie thanked her and dusted herself off.

"I'd better be going," Charlie said.

Joey nodded and watched her race off down the beach.

"So, that was the infamous Charlie Buckton?" Gray asked.

Joey nodded, suddenly feeling mute. She turned back to her girlfriend and forced a smile.

"She really is hot!" Gray remarked with a hint of a grin.

Joey couldn't help but laugh, feeling relaxed and comforted again.


	6. Chapter 6

_I hope you enjoy this chapter of The One. I'm not sure what spoilers I can give away with this one except that we are almost halfway through it, Aden and Belle will get married and Charlie will have an accident. She's obviously having a very clumsy day! Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Six**

Charlie began to hurry home. Her stomach was in knots and she thought she might actually throw up. Joey had looked every inch as beautiful as she had before, if not more so. And her girlfriend was also stunning. Joey had quite clearly moved on very well and she wondered why she had to rub it in her face. Charlie forced herself to remember that she too had moved on, or at least she was meant to have. She attempted to conjure Angelo's face but all she could see was Joey. She felt like her heart had broken all over again.

"Are you okay?" asked a male voice.

Charlie looked up ahead of her. Angelo was walking towards her, looking concerned. He jogged the rest of the way towards her and held her arms gently, looking into her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," Charlie lied, swallowing down her grief.

"Charlie, you look like you've seen a ghost!" he said.

He stroked her face and she tried to stop trembling.

"I... I was running," she said. "I fell. I think I hit my head."

He immediately stroked through her hair, checking for damage and then placed a kiss on her forehead.

"No real damage," he said with a smile. "But let's get you sat down with a coffee."

He took her by the hand and led her into the Diner.

* * *

"Are you alright, Joey?" Gray asked as they walked back along the beach together.

Her girlfriend had been mostly quiet since their meeting with Charlie and she wanted to know what was going on.

"I'm fine," Joey said, taking Gray's hand. "It was just a surprise to see her again."

"Well, you knew you'd run into her eventually," Gray pointed out, hoping she didn't sound objectionable.

"I know," Joey said quickly. "I was just trying to prepare for the wedding. I didn't expect to see her randomly like that."

Gray nodded and squeezed Joey's hand. Joey smiled at her, grateful that she was so relaxed about the whole thing. She didn't think that any other woman would be quite so understanding of this particular situation. Gray was well aware of exactly what Charlie had meant to Joey, what she still meant. She knew that Charlie would always hold a piece of Joey's heart and that they had shared very special things with each other. She had been kind enough to come back to Summer Bay with her and Joey knew she'd have to play things very carefully. They would be seeing Charlie again in a few hours and Joey didn't know exactly how she felt about it. Part of her wanted to talk, spend some alone time with her and finally confront all the problems they'd ignored. But part of her wanted to ignore everything forever. Even being near Charlie for a few moments had brought all her old feelings, of both love and pain, rushing back to the surface. She realised unhappily that she was still desperately in love with her. She already had the perfect woman but one look at Charlie told her that Gray would never be enough. She could never take Charlie's place.

* * *

Feeling a little calmer but still very confused, Charlie gratefully accepted coffee and kindness.

"How come you tripped?" Angelo asked.

"I just... I guess I wasn't concentrating," she replied.

Angelo knew nothing of her past relationship other than the fact that it was with someone, presumably a guy, called Joey and that it had ended painfully. She just couldn't bear to go into everything now. To tell her boyfriend that she wasn't as straight as everyone had always assumed, would be a long conversation. And on a day when she knew she had to see Joey again and explain to her father than she was dating a man he and his wife hated, she just couldn't bear to make anything worse.

"Were you worrying about telling your Dad?" Angelo asked.

"I uh... I guess I must have been," she lied.

Plastering a smile on her face, she stood up. He followed her out of the Diner, reluctantly accepting that she had to get home and changed and that he couldn't walk her home in case Ross and Morag were already there. He hugged her and kissed her tenderly. She kissed him back but her heart wasn't in it. Her head was too full of Joey.

* * *

Leaving the beach, Joey looked up and stopped when she saw Charlie kissing a man who looked strangely familiar. She chewed her lip, feeling hurt. Gray stepped up beside her and tugged on her hand. Her heart did cartwheels when she saw Charlie kissing a guy. Surely that meant that despite the shock of seeing Joey again, she was over her and had no intention of trying to steal Joey back. She frowned, though, when she saw just how affected Joey was by what she was seeing.

"Joey," she said softly. "Please don't tell me I'm going to lose you."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"Of course you're not going to lose me," Joey said quickly

She and Gray turned their backs on the kissing couple and began to walk in the direction of the caravan park, holding hands.

"I love you," she said. "And I'm with you now. Charlie and I are over. You have nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?" Gray asked. "I saw the way you looked at her. And I was there while you tried to get over her."

Joey looked at her directly.

"And you saw me succeed," she said. "Charlie will always provoke strong feelings in me. After the way it all ended and after everything I was already going through at the time... it's natural, isn't it?"

Gray nodded.

"But I love you, Gray," Joey promised. "And I'm not about to walk away from this just because we happen to be back in Summer Bay."

Relieved, Gray smiled and they continued on their way.

* * *

Charlie escaped Angelo and headed home, barely greeting Ruby and Leah as she raced into the shower. Stripping off, she jumped into the cubicle and enjoyed the spray of hot water on her body. She shut her eyes on the world and wondered how she was now going to face the day. Nobody had mentioned that Joey would be returning for the wedding. She supposed it made sense that she'd come but Charlie would certainly have appreciated a little warning. She'd established her life again after the hole Joey had left behind and her reappearance was threatening to shatter everything. From the moment she'd gazed into Joey's big brown eyes, she'd known she was still in love with her. She felt like she'd been in love with her from the first moment they met. Juggling Joey, Angelo and her own conflicted feelings was going to be sheer torture. She washed her long hair thoroughly and scrubbed her body. Rinsing, she turned the water off and stepped out, enjoying the warmth of big fluffy towel she wrapped around her. It always made her smile and think of Joey. The deckhand had been horrified by how old her towels were, before they were even dating, and went out and bought her some fresh, fluffy new ones. The moment she smiled, she sighed. She pictured Joey with her new girlfriend and fought a wave of tears. She headed into her room to get dry and dressed and shut the door on the world.

* * *

"How do I look?" Joey asked.

She'd dressed in smart, black trousers and a pale blue blouse. She received a wolf whistle from Gray and blushed. Gray was wearing black trousers also and a deep purple shirt.

"Do I look okay?" she asked, wanting to make a good impression on the people Joey used to live and work with in this town.

Joey wrapped her arms around her waist and kissed her.

"You look beautiful," she said.

"You're not ashamed to have me on your arm?" Gray teased.

The reaction that had occurred between Charlie and Joey made her crave reassurance.

"I'm pretty damn proud," Joey promised.

"Then let us depart!" Gray grinned, leading Joey out of the caravan.

* * *

Charlie and Ruby greeted Ross and Morag, pleased to see them after so many weeks apart. They both tried to get to the city on as many weekends as they could. Neither wanted their father to feel neglected or rejected. But it was good to know that they would get to spend several days with him and on first impressions, he seemed to be doing pretty well.

"So, what have my darling girls been up to?" Ross asked, when the foursome sat on the couch together.

"I've been busy with school and stuff," Ruby said brightly. "I'm still with Xavier."

She opted to leave out the part where she had been considering sleeping with him and was grateful that Charlie kept her mouth shut. It was something she was still thinking about but Charlie's fears and concerns were echoing in her ears and making her consider her options more carefully.

"Charlie?"

The teenager tried not to smirk at her sister who looked a little unnerved. She swallowed. Ross and Morag looked at her expectantly. She knew that now was the perfect time to tell them about Angelo but she couldn't quite say the words, partly because she was fearful of their reaction and partly because, after months of trying desperately to forget her, her mind was full of Joey.

"Everything's been fine," she said. "I've been rushed off my feet with work and everything."

"Yes, I heard about Miles finding a hand in the sand and everything," Ross said. "Did you get to the bottom of the shark debate?"

"Not exactly," Charlie said.

The whole thing was a tedious, ongoing investigation.

"It was actually VJ who found it," Ruby chipped in. "He was pretty traumatised."

"Oh, poor boy," Morag said compassionately.

"No other news from you two?" Ross asked.

"Nope," Charlie said quickly. "Who wants coffee?"

Ruby watched her rise and escape to the kitchen. She offered to help and followed her. As soon as they were alone, she asked why Charlie hadn't mentioned Angelo yet.

"It doesn't feel like the right time," Charlie told her, busying herself with making beverages.

"They're specifically asking you about news," Ruby pointed out.

Charlie focussed on what she was doing. Ruby studied her and realised she was shaking and tearful.

"Charlie?" she asked gently. "What's wrong? You and Angelo haven't..."

"Joey's here," Charlie blurted out.

Ruby looked and felt surprised. Charlie paused her movements and looked at her little sister.

"She came for Aden's wedding. With her girlfriend."

Ruby immediately pulled her into a hug and held on tight.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Charlie shook her head.

"Seeing her again just... well, you couldn't have been more right the other night if you'd tried."

"You're still in love with her," Ruby concluded.

Charlie nodded and turned back to the drinks.

"What about Angelo?" Ruby asked.

"I need to just get on with it," Charlie told her. "Whatever I feel or don't feel, Joey's moved on and Angelo's the one who wants to be with me."

Ruby sighed, unhappy with the answer. They finished stirring coffees and headed back into the living room.


	8. Chapter 8

_Here is your next instalment. The one after this will be... interesting! And you'll know why at the end of this chapter. Enjoy! xxx_

**Chapter Eight**

Gray and Joey arrived at Aden's in order to collect him and take him to the wedding. Neither was entirely sure what kind of state they would find him in and since last night, Joey had figured out exactly why Belle had wanted her around. Even with her heart bewildered by Charlie's mere existence, Joey was more than willing to stick around and be there for her friend. Still, she fretted over what it would be like to see her again at the wedding, looking so disarmingly beautiful and unattainable. Aden opened the door wearing the trousers to his tuxedo and a shirt. A tie was undone around his neck and he looked like he hadn't slept.

"How are you doing?" Joey asked.

He shrugged and said he was okay.

"Belle and I had a long heart to heart when I got home last night," he said. "I have no idea how she's carried that secret round with her these last few weeks and I... I still don't know how to handle it or what I'm doing. But you were right, not marrying Belle isn't an option."

Joey held his shoulders and smiled at him, glad for the choice he'd made but sad for the situation he was in.

"How's your morning been?" he asked, stepping back and struggling with his tie.

"We met the delightful Charlie," Gray informed him.

Joey looked up sharply, wondering if Gray was as okay with things as she'd made out so far. She chewed her lip uncertainly.

"Oh," Aden said, sucking in his brief. "I forgot about..."

"It's fine," Joey said quickly.

She slapped Aden's hands away and fixed his tie for him. He shot her a grateful look. Gray excused herself to the bathroom, which Aden directed her to while Joey smartened him up. As soon as they heard the door close, Aden looked at Joey more seriously.

"How was it really?" he asked. "With Charlie?"

"It's fine," Joey insisted. "I think she was shocked to see me again but she took comfort in her boyfriend and that's... that's fine."

Aden pulled his jacket on.

"I have to say I was surprised that she and Angelo got back together," he ventured.

"Angelo!" Joey said, suddenly remembering where she knew him from.

He was a cop who'd been, apparently temporarily, sent to prison for killing another cop.

"He showed up a few months back," Aden explained. "But I was surprised when they got together. She was as angry when he first arrived as everyone else was. And she was..."

"She was what?" Joey asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"She was pretty cut up over losing you," he said.

Joey shrugged, trying not to care.

"We would never have lasted," she said quickly. "She would always have gone back to men. I'd hoped she wouldn't do it while we were still together but hey, that's life."

She fluffed her clothes and looked relieved when Gray reappeared and they were forced to stop talking about Charlie.

"Are we ready to go?" she asked brightly.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Aden said, following the girls out the door.

***

Charlie sat close beside Ruby as they waited for the ceremony to begin. Aden and Belle were getting married in a clearing with a beautiful view of the Bay. It was definitely romantic. Ruby couldn't help but think that if she ever got married she'd like it to be here. Of course, she and Xavier were a long way off from there. Ross sat on Ruby's other side and Morag sat beside her husband.

"How are you holding up?" Ruby whispered.

Charlie nodded and appreciated it when Ruby squeezed her hand. She felt completely on edge as everyone waited for Aden and she personally waited for Joey. When Aden, Joey and Gray arrived, she took a sharp intake of breath. Joey looked smart and impossibly sexy. She was confident, as if she could take on the world. Joey smiled and encouraged Aden as he made his way to the front of the clearing. She patted him on the shoulder and scanned the chairs for a seat. Her heart sank when she realised that the only two chairs left were in the row behind Charlie and her family. The exes made eye contact for a moment before Joey picked her way through, leading Gray by the hand and sat down. Charlie bowed her head, wondering once more how she had ever let the perfect woman go. She swallowed hard and Ruby held onto her hand in a bid to offer moral support. Joey sat up straight, trying not to get lost in the mere image of the back of Charlie's head. She had her hair down and it tumbled over her beautiful, slender shoulders, the way Joey had always appreciated it most. Her heart hammered in her chest at the thought that Charlie was actually close enough to touch. Gray refused to let go of her hand, as if trying to remind her girlfriend that she was there and they were a couple. Joey swallowed and smiled at her. Gray smiled back without hesitation.

***

Ruby shed a tear at the exchange of vows between Aden and Belle. The bride and groom seemed particularly emotional and it touched her heart. Charlie stared ahead of her, looking as if she was hardly present at all. Behind them, Joey leant in a little to Gray who supported her whole heartedly, knowing exactly what this wedding meant to those involved. The congregation stood and clapped as Aden and Belle, holding hands, walked back down the aisle as husband and wife.

"Please join us at the Surf Club to continue the celebrations," Belle requested as various people threw confetti.

Charlie kept a smile on her face and clapped, constantly swallowing the lump in her throat. Angelo was due to pick her up from the Surf Club in an hour and she still hadn't told her father and Morag about her new relationship. And she could feel Joey behind her far too intently. She dared a glance at the most beautiful woman she had ever known. Joey was smiling and clapping, carefully wiping her eyes. People began to move out towards their cars. Gray and Joey filed out at exactly the same time as Ross, Morag, Ruby and Charlie did.

"Sorry," Joey said politely as she ever so slightly collided with Charlie.

Charlie could barely take her eyes off her as Joey let her go first. Ruby and Joey smiled recognition with each other and Gray followed closely behind her girlfriend.

***

"Why don't you just go and talk to her?" Ruby said, nudging her sister.

The music was playing and everyone but Charlie appeared to be having a good time. Her heart was heavy and she couldn't take her eyes off Joey who was chatting with Gray and Alf in the corner.

"How can I?" Charlie asked, wide eyed. "She's got a girlfriend."

"Charlie, you've been agonising over Joey ever since she left," Ruby said. "I'm not saying charge over there and sweep her off her feet but there must be so many things you want to say. I'm sure her girlfriend wouldn't object to a conversation."

Charlie looked helpless.

"You need to do this if you're ever going to heal, Charlie," Ruby insisted.

"Can't I just...?"

"Forget about it and move on?" Ruby challenged. "Obviously not."

Charlie pulled her phone out of her jacket pocket. Her watch didn't go with her slinky dress.

"Angelo's picking me up in half an hour," she objected. "There isn't the time to..."

"And what are you going to do about Angelo anyway?" Ruby asked.

"I'm not dumping him!" Charlie said quickly.

"I mean about telling Dad and Morag," Ruby said. "He's going to be pretty hurt if you're not able to tell your family about him, although it's interesting to know that dumping him was the first thought in your mind."

Charlie sighed, wishing she could take back the whole day. It all felt too heavy for her. She sighed even more heavily when, yet again, she wished she could take back the last few months. She'd go right back to the beach that night with Hugo and run far away from him. She'd ride out the trauma and uncertainty and remember just how in love with Joey she was and she would never break her heart.

***

Alf bid Joey, his very brief employee, goodbye and moved on to mingle. Joey's eyes immediately searched for Charlie's. Gray sighed beside her. Getting to her feet, she pulled her startled girlfriend across the room until they'd approached Charlie's table. Both Charlie and Joey looked horrified and Ruby looked intrigued.

"Look, I can't spend this entire wedding watching my girlfriend gaze at her ex," Gray announced.

"Gray, I wasn't..."

"And having her ex stare back," Gray accused.

Charlie looked more and more flummoxed by the second.

"So, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and send you outside to talk," she said.

"Go on," Ruby said, poking Charlie in the back.

Hearts racing, Charlie and Joey agreed and headed outside together in a bid to finally get a lot of issues off their chests.


	9. Chapter 9

_Well, I thought I'd post this chapter by way of apology for three postings of the same chapter of A Different Way. For some reason my little asterisk paragraph divider doesn't work and I can't seem to find a way to separate my paragraphs now. Any help would be appreciated. It's very annoying for a marginally OCD person such as myself! But this chapter has only one paragraph and a charged one at that! Enjoy! IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Nine**

Out in the fresh air, both Charlie and Joey felt uncomfortable. Joey put her hands behind her back and leant against the wall. She took a couple of breaths and studied Charlie's too perfect face. She felt utterly ashamed to realise that her heart still skipped a beat when she was close to her. She felt guilty, as if she were cheating, by allowing that kind of reaction to occur. Charlie stood near her, drinking in her every feature, attempting to commit her to memory for when she left again. She chewed her lip nervously.

"How are you?" Charlie finally dared.

"Peachy," Joey replied, ashamed for feeling so snappy and on edge. "You?"

"I'm okay," Charlie said. "I... uh..."

She sighed. She had no idea what to say.

"Yeah," Joey said, picking up the conversation. "I see you're doing pretty well for yourself. Working hard, hot boyfriend..."

Charlie looked startled, wondering how she'd found out about Angelo. She began to try and excuse herself and then furrowed her brow in annoyance.

"I don't think you're one to talk," she said. "You're the one who rocked up in town with a hot girlfriend. Thanks for rubbing salt in the wound."

"You have a wound?" Joey challenged, leaving the wall and standing on her own two feet. "You mean you actually have feelings?"

"Of course I have feelings," Charlie said.

Right at that moment, she was feeling hurt.

"You just moved on pretty quickly," Joey said. "You didn't seem to care about me."

"I've only been dating Angelo for a few weeks," Charlie replied. "You've moved on quicker than I have!"

"At least I waited until we'd broken up," Joey snapped.

Charlie looked genuinely wounded. Guilt washed over both of them. Joey wasn't quite sure why she was being so aggressive. She hadn't planned it. She hadn't planned anything. All her resentment and pain seemed to be spilling out rather harshly and she didn't appear to be able to rein it in.

"Joey, I..."

Charlie's heart raced a little faster as she attempted to find a way to explain. There was so much she had to say, so much she needed to make up for. And she had no idea where to start.

"You really know how to make a girl feel good about herself, don't you?" Joey said unhappily.

"What?"

Joey stepped a little closer, shaking from raw emotion.

"You were so ashamed of being with me, Charlie," she said. "You hated it so much that you slept with a guy behind my back in a bid to prove that there was nothing remotely queer about you. You were obsessed with what people thought of us, what they'd think of you. And now, I come back and find you're sleeping with a murderer!"

"That's not fair!" Charlie snapped, also moving closer.

"You're quite happy to date him," Joey argued. "Parade him round. Be all over him in public. Not giving a toss who sees you. But me? No, no, you couldn't possibly be seen with me. That's just horrific, isn't it?"

"I was still getting used to us!" Charlie said, the volume of her voice a little louder than she intended it to be. "It was hard for me!"

"Clearly!"

"I was trying my best and then it all went wrong and I don't know how many times I can say sorry!"

"You slept with Hugo behind my back," Joey growled. "Then you lied about it for an entire week and jumped right back into bed with me without saying a thing, Charlie. You were ashamed of me. You made me feel like... like..."

She threw her hands up in exasperation.

"I would have got my head around everything if you'd have stayed," Charlie told her.

"Stayed? How the hell could I have stayed after what you did?"

"Or if you'd have come back when you said you would!" the police officer continued. "I waited for you. I loved you and I missed you and I spent months planning exactly how I was going to make everything up to you. But you never gave me a chance, did you, Joey? You sailed away and didn't give me another thought!"

"Another thought?" Joey said. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to get over you?"

"Well, you seem to be celebrating your victory pretty well," Charlie said.

Their faces were inches apart and fury and hurt had taken control of both of them.

"Like I said," Joey hissed. "You also seem to be doing pretty damn well in your recovery! And like I said, you really know how to make a girl feel like she worth something."

"Me being with Angelo has nothing to do with you," Charlie told her.

"Do you have any idea how it feels to come back and realise you're prouder of dating a killer than you could ever be of dating me?" Joey demanded. "Do you know how that makes me feel? I mean, what did I do wrong? What was my crime?"

"It's not..." Charlie faltered.

"Well?" Joey shouted.

Charlie glared at her.

"Well?" Joey repeated.

Charlie's fight or flight instinct kicked in and she moved to hurry past Joey, deciding that talking had been a terrible idea and attempted to move back into the Surf Club. She nudged against Joey as she did so. Joey pushed her backwards without thinking. Charlie stumbled and glared at her.

"Does pushing me around make you feel better?" she asked, pushing Joey right back.

Joey came at her again, trying desperately to ignore the fact that even in anger, their touch provoked what she could only describe as a unique charge of passion.

"I hate you!" she said bitterly.

"I hate you too!" Charlie snapped back, although nothing could have been further from the truth.

She pushed Joey roughly back until she bumped into the outer wall of the building. Their eyes burned into each other for several seconds before they closed the gap between them in a searing kiss. Charlie's heart hammered away as she and Joey battled for control of the kiss. It was possibly the most passionate thing she'd ever experienced. Joey tried to force herself to part from Charlie's lips but she couldn't override her compulsion to stay. She knew it was wrong to be out here kissing her ex, even in anger, when her girlfriend was inside, having been the one to facilitate the inevitable meeting. Finally and breathlessly, Joey broke contact. They were both surprised to find tears in each other's eyes.

"Well done, Charlie," Joey said coldly. "Now you've turned me into a cheat like you."

She bolted inside the Surf Club. Charlie sank against the wall trying to control her emotions. A few second later, she saw Joey and Gray leave. She gazed up at the sky and took several deep breaths, trying to regain her composure before she went back inside. She was startled by the beeping of a horn. Angelo pulled up in his car looking cheerful.

"Are you ready to go?" he called out to her.

She nodded, managed to say yes and then headed back inside to say goodbye to Ruby and grab her bag.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

"Joey, what's wrong?" Gray asked desperately and repeatedly when they arrived back at the caravan.

Joey had said a hurried goodbye to Aden and Belle and wished them a nice honeymoon, promising to be in touch. Then she'd begged Gray to leave with her. She hadn't spoken for the entire car journey back to the caravan park but instead looked anxiously out of the window. She sighed and sank onto the bed with tears in her eyes. Feeling compassionate, Gray came to sit beside her and held her hands.

"Joey, what happened?" she asked. "I'm really sorry for pushing you together. I thought it would help."

Joey replayed the pushes and the kiss in her mind again. Her lips were still tingling and her guilt was threatening to overpower her.

"I kissed her," she blurted out.

Gray shrank back and withdrew her hands. She might have felt a bit threatened by Charlie but she'd always lived in the safe assumption that Joey was not a cheat. Now her head was reeling.

"What?" she asked quietly.

Joey turned to face her, looking desperate as she apologised profusely. She reached for her girlfriend who stood up and out of her grasp. She turned away with her hands on her hips. Joey waited for her to speak with baited breath.

"How could you?" Gray finally asked.

She turned around and fixed Joey with a cold, hard stare.

"It just happened," Joey said. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to, I..."

"Well what the hell did you mean to do?" Gray snapped, turning back around.

"We were arguing," Joey explained. "And it just got out of control."

"Clearly!"

The truth stung and Gray wondered, not for the first time, if she had ever really had Joey's heart in the first place.

"I'm so sorry," Joey said.

She sank to the floor on her knees and held Gray's hands tightly.

"Please forgive me," she begged.

* * *

Angelo focussed on the road but he glanced at Charlie every moment he could, wondering what was on her mind. She'd been acting strangely since this morning and he began to fear that telling her father about him hadn't gone well. He placed a hand on her thigh. She turned to look at him but her eyes were empty. She sighed. His concern grew.

"Didn't it go well with your Dad and Morag?" he asked.

She swallowed.

"I uh... I didn't get the chance to tell them," she admitted.

He sighed and tried not to show his hurt.

"Is that why you're stressed?" he asked. "Because it's still playing on your mind?"

She nodded but it wasn't true. Telling her family about Angelo was the last thing on her mind. All she could think about was Joey. She was wounded and bewildered over the hatred that she'd been shown. And she was even more confused by their kiss. It had taken her by surprise but now she couldn't take it back. She wasn't even sure she wanted to. However angry they had been, it has been as amazing as all their other moments of passion, if a little different.

"Well, let's not think about it now," Angelo said brightly.

"What?" Charlie asked, startled out of her own thoughts and imaginings.

He smiled and took his hand back.

"We can talk to them both later," he said. "For now, let's just have a nice afternoon."

"Where are we going?" Charlie asked.

* * *

Gray and Joey had packed up their things. Deciding that she wasn't going to lose the love of her life over an errant, misplaced kiss and knowing that Joey was sorry about it, Gray had decided that she just wanted to forgive and forget and move on. Joey had begged her to take them home immediately, back to their jobs, their house, their life. The more time she spent in Summer Bay, the more confused she was and she couldn't bear it anymore. While she had always been painfully aware that Charlie would always have most of her heart, Joey wanted to give the rest of it to Gray. She sincerely loved her and she could see them spending their lives together. It was what she needed. Being around Charlie just complicated the life she fought so hard to make simple.

"Joey, did you want to go and see your brother before we left?" Gray asked.

It was something they'd discussed on the way down. Joey had reluctantly said that she ought to drop in on Brett while they were visiting, preferably towards the end of their stay. Joey nodded and took Gray's hands. She kissed her, full of apology and gratitude. They finished packing up and headed towards the house to settle up with Miles.

* * *

"Okay, here we are," Angelo announced, pulling up on the side of the road.

Charlie looked startled. She studied her boyfriend's face, wondering if it was all a ploy and he knew the truth about what had happened between her and Joey both the second and first time around. But she saw nothing but love in his eyes.

"Why are we here?" she asked anxiously.

He'd parked almost exactly outside Joey's old house. Her heart hammered so loudly in her chest that she could hear the pounding in her ears. Her head began to swim as panic took over.

"Well, I thought we'd take a boat out," he said. "I've booked it all already and there's a nice picnic in the back of the car. I figured we could..."

"No!" Charlie said quickly, battling with images of her and Joey's day out on Alf's boat.

It had been one of the happiest and saddest days of her life. Out there in the ocean, the pair had nearly kissed. Charlie had bolted as she and Joey both realised the truth at the same moment. They were in love with each other and they always would be.

* * *

Gray pulled up a few feet up from Joey's childhood home.

"Thank you," Joey said gratefully.

She kissed her cheek and hopped out of the car, her soul plagued with concern over seeing her brother again. She'd written a couple of times to keep in touch but ever since she'd come out, their relationship had been broken. And she wasn't sure she'd ever forgive him for what he'd done to Charlie's car and for the complaint he'd made against her. Joey had never stopped wondering if, had he left them alone, Charlie might not have panicked and betrayed her. If Brett had been able to accept her and her relationship, perhaps she would still be in it. Shaking her head and reminding herself that she was happy with Gray, she approached the front door and knocked.

* * *

"Charlie, what's the problem?" Angelo asked, genuinely bewildered. "I thought it'd be a nice day out."

"It is," Charlie said apologetically. "I just... I don't want to. Let's do something else instead. Please? I think... I think I had too much champagne at the wedding or something. I feel sick."

"Charlie," Angelo said a little frustrated. "What's wrong with you? I went to a lot of trouble to arrange this. I've been excited about it all day. Why can't you just...?"

Charlie shook her head, shaking. She felt like she was going to explode. Opening the door, she climbed out of the car. Angelo followed suit, insisting that she'd have a good time when they got out there. He wondered if she had a water phobia or something that she hadn't told him about. She wasn't the most open of people. He supposed there was probably a lot she didn't share with him. It was something that made him sad. He'd shared his whole heart with her but she always came up short of doing the same.

"Hey!" said an angry voice.

Charlie and Angelo both looked up to see an attractive but angry woman storming towards them. On the doorstep where she was still waiting for Brett to open the door, Joey turned quickly at the shout. She froze as she saw Gray storming out of the car towards Charlie and Angelo. Charlie also froze.

"Are you happy?" Gray demanded.

It wasn't in her nature to be confrontational but she had to lot to say to Charlie about her actions earlier in the day.

"You kiss my girlfriend and then go off with your boyfriend like nothing's happened."

Charlie paled. She should have known that Joey would have told her the truth. She wasn't capable of lying.

"What?" Angelo asked quietly.

Charlie looked between him and Gray, panicking over what to do. Joey just stared from the doorstep.

"I..." Charlie faltered.

"You what?" Gray demanded, stopping directly in front of her.

"Charlie, what's she talking about?" Angelo asked.

"Oh, don't you know?" Gray asked him. "Your perfect girlfriend used to date _my_ girlfriend."

"Girlfriend...?" Angelo said, struck dumb.

"Yes, girlfriend. And this afternoon, she kissed her."

Charlie stumbled over her words, hating the way Angelo was now looking at her. Once again, her flight instinct took over and she backed away from the confrontational pair, into the road. Joey saw everything in slow motion from her vantage point. Charlie stepped back just as a car came speeding around the corner. She screamed Charlie's name and broke into a run.


	11. Chapter 11

_Well, I'm all excitable and awake and awaiting pizza. I ordered eight minutes before Dominos closed. Poor staff. But I'm all giddy because I just got back from seeing Wicked. For the third time. I may be a tad besotted with the show, I think. But in celebration of my good mood – after a long few weeks of post-hospital bad mood, here is chapter eleven for you. Enjoy! IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Eleven**

"Charlie!" Joey screamed, crashing onto her knees in fright.

Angelo rushed to his girlfriend's other side. A frightened Gray pulled out her phone and called an ambulance, giving the details as hurriedly as possible.

"Charlie?" Angelo said, touching her face.

She made no move to respond. Joey fought tears and she watched the love of her life lie lifeless on the tarmac.

"Who the hell are you?" Angelo demanded.

"I'm..."

He looked between the three women. It didn't take a genius to work it out.

"Get the hell away from my girlfriend," he snapped.

Joey swallowed but wouldn't move.

"Charlie?" Angelo said again.

He heard her moan, deep in her throat. There was nothing coherent about her. Joey sank back on her heels, tears spilling down her cheeks. Gray crouched beside her, putting her arm around her and feeling jolted by just how broken Joey was about what had happened.

"The paramedics will be here in a minute," she said.

Angelo left Charlie's side and approached the car which had crashed into a post. The driver was just climbing out, looking dazed.

"Do you realise what you've done?" Angelo yelled.

He looked bewildered. Joey blanched when she realised that the driver was Brett. She watched Angelo push him. An argument quickly ensued as they heard sirens wailing in the distance. Joey shut everyone, including Gray out, as she held Charlie's delicate hand and wept, begging her to open her eyes and be okay.

* * *

Ross, Morag and Ruby arrived at the hospital in a rush. Angelo had called them on the way over. He hurried up to them looking distraught.

"Is Charlie okay?" Ruby demanded.

He nodded and explained that she'd dislocated her hip and that the doctor was treating her now. Ruby turned and saw Joey and a woman she presumed was the girlfriend Charlie had mentioned, sitting on the chairs looking fraught. She raced up to them, searching Joey's face.

"What happened?"

"She got hit by a car," Joey said. "We were all outside my old house and... Brett came speeding round the corner and..."

Gray's hands were frozen in her lap. Her mind was racing and she couldn't offer her girlfriend any comfort. All three women looked up when Angelo approached.

"Would one of you care to explain to me what the hell is going on?" he asked angrily.

Ross and Morag approached, also needing to know what had happened. Ruby looked between the sorry mess of people and took a deep breath.

"Okay, this is Charlie's ex-girlfriend Joey," she said.

Ross and Morag looked startled.

"And Angelo is her current boyfriend."

Confusion turned to anger. Ruby turned to Gray.

"I presume you're Joey's current girlfriend," she said.

Gray nodded.

"So, how did Charlie end up in a car accident?" Ruby asked.

"Constable Rosetta?"

Angelo and the rest of the group turned as the Doctor approached them.

"Is Charlie going to be okay?" Ross asked.

If there was ever a time to find out that he had a bisexual daughter who was dating a murderer, now wasn't it. But now was the time he didn't care. All he wanted to know was that she was alive.

"She's going to be fine," he said. "She's in a lot of pain but she's alright. We'll keep her in overnight but then tomorrow, she should be free to go home."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Can I see her?" Angelo asked, not caring that Ross or Ruby and especially Joey, might want to see her first.

"Of course," he said. "Come this way."

* * *

Joey followed Gray outside the hospital and into the fresh air.

"I'm going home," Gray said.

Joey looked startled.

"Could we just make sure that...?" she began.

"No, I'm going home alone," Gray said firmly.

Joey looked tearful again. She reached for Gray's shoulders, pleading with her to change her mind. Gray took a deep breath and looked her girlfriend right in the eye.

"Joey, I love you," she said. "I would happily spend the rest of my life with you but..."

She sighed heavily.

"You'll never feel the same way about me."

"I do!" Joey insisted. "I love you!"

"I know you love me," Gray said. "But you will always love her more. I've always known it and today proved it."

Joey held on a little tighter.

"Gray, I explained the kiss. I've apologised. I've told you..."

"It's not about that," Gray said. "The way you reacted when she was hit by that car..."

"It was a normal, frightened reaction," Joey said a little too defensively. "I'd react like that if I saw anyone get run over or hurt."

Gray shook her head.

"You wouldn't," she said certainly. "Joey, don't feel bad about this."

"How can I not feel bad about this?" Joey asked.

"I love you, okay? And sometimes, when you love someone, you have to let them go."

"And I'll let Charlie go..."

"No, you won't," Gray insisted. "You'll try but you'll fail because you'll always wish that things could have been different. You'll always love her above anyone else in the world."

"She doesn't want me," Joey pointed out. "So even if..."

"I'm not saying that you should go in there and steal her away from her boyfriend," Gray said gently. "But you owe it to yourself to at least talk to her again, to try and work out some way forward. And I'm sorry, I can't be around for that. I won't be second best."

Joey dissolved into yet more tears. Gray kissed her tenderly goodbye.

"I'll drop your stuff back at the caravan park and ask them to look after it for you," she said. "I'll tell them you're coming back, okay?"

Joey nodded mutely and watched her leave.

* * *

Angelo swallowed uncertainly as he perched on the edge of Charlie's hospital bed. She looked so small, frail and defeated lying there. She smiled weakly and attempted to take his hand but he refused.

"Tell me about Joey," he said.

She sighed and closed her eyes, her heart feeling more and more weighted down by the second. When she'd woken up, she'd hoped that the whole thing had been a bad dream but Angelo had now proved otherwise.

"She and I were an item before... before you and I got back together. We split up a few months ago. I... I couldn't handle the idea of being in love with a woman. People were talking. I got into trouble at work. Her brother spray painted my car. I couldn't cope. So I... I cheated with a guy in a desperate bid to prove my heterosexuality. I slept with... I slept with Hugo."

Angelo looked disgusted.

"She left town," Charlie continued. "She left me. But she came back for Aden and Belle's wedding. They were friends."

Angelo studied her face. It was full of shame.

"So, what am I?" he asked.

"What?"

"Am I another desperate bid? Does it mean you're gay or...?"

"No!" Charlie snapped. "I don't know what I am. I just... I just fell in love with her. I didn't mean to. But Angelo, my feelings for you are real. I know I left some stuff out but I haven't lied to you. I want to be with you."

"Do you?" he asked. "Because that's kind of an important part of yourself to keep hidden."

"It wasn't relevant," Charlie said. "Joey and I were over. You and I are... we're a fresh, new thing. Does it matter that I was with a woman before?"

"It does if you're still in love with her," he said.

Charlie sighed heavily and closed her eyes for several moments. She opened up again.

"I will always care for Joey," she said. "But I'm with you now."

"Do you love me?" he asked.

"It's... it's early to..."

"How long did it take for you to fall for her?"

She sighed again.

"A few weeks," she admitted.

He stood up, looking hurt and began to pace. Pausing, he turned back to her.

"And is it true?" he wanted to know. "What that girl said? What her girlfriend accused you of?"

Charlie swallowed. Her throat ached with grief.

"Did you kiss Joey today?"

"Yes," Charlie admitted quietly. "But it was a one off. I didn't mean to..."

"Then yes, your relationship with Joey matters to me," he said, leaning closer. "You went behind my back. Maybe not as badly as you did with her but you still cheated on me. And I'm certain you've been cheating in your heart and your mind from the moment you and I got together."

"Angelo..." she said desperately, hating the anger in his voice.

"So now you're free to do whatever the hell you like, Charlie. It's over."

He stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him.


	12. Chapter 12

_So, with this being the third to last chapter of the story, we're at a pretty crucial point. Thank you all so much for your reviews. Gray is frustrating, hey? I originally wrote her as a bad girl. She wasn't meant to be nice to Joey at all. But then I decided to challenge myself and not make it so easy! So yes, poor Gray was the perfect girl... just not Joey's perfect girl. I'm sure she'll wander off and find someone in a land we'll never see. For now... Charlie and Joey will come face to face again. Enjoy! IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Twelve**

Joey walked back to the nurse's station with no clue as to how she felt. Watching Gray leave had been heartbreaking but there was nothing in what she'd said that wasn't true. Joey had fallen in love with Charlie so quickly and so hard. There had been a time when she couldn't imagine life without her. And getting used to being apart had been even harder than she'd expected. Not one person in the world provoked the kind of reactions Charlie did. She poured out her most passionate love and her most fiery anger on her. She made her heart race. She made her cry with love and with loss. Joey became unhappily aware that she could sail as far away from her as she liked, she could date a million women, she could find the perfect woman, and nobody could ever stop her loving Charlie more than life itself. She was certain she _had _met the perfect woman. Gray was kind and loving, she was gentle and honest. She loved her. She would have done anything for her, no matter how hard it was. But she wasn't Charlie.

"Could I see Brett Collins, please?" she asked when she got the nurse's attention.

* * *

"You know, when we asked you if you had any news, Charlie, I think you left some stuff out," Ross said when he, Morag and Ruby went in to visit their loved one.

She blanched with fright. Ruby perched on the edge of the bed and held her hand.

"I told them about Joey and Angelo," she said. "I had to."

Charlie nodded, forcing herself to look at her father. His expression was grim.

"How could you date that man after what he did?" he asked.

Charlie didn't know if she was pleased or disappointed that her Dad's concern was over Angelo and not Joey.

"He didn't mean to kill Jack," she said weakly. "He hates himself for what he did. He's trying to do everything he can to make things right again."

Morag remained unconvinced but Ross sighed heavily.

"And who's this Joey girl? Were you and her really...?"

He pulled a face she couldn't read.

"We were together," Charlie admitted.

There was no point lying about anything now.

"We were in love. Then I... I lost her."

Ruby held her hand a little tighter, deciding that they ought to be alone together when Charlie told her the full story of exactly how she ended up getting run over.

"And she's here because...?"

"She came for the wedding," Charlie explained. "She and Aden were good friends."

Ross nodded slowly. Charlie turned to Ruby.

"Is she okay?" she asked.

All she could remember was Joey's anger and then Gray's fury. It was too much to take.

"She's here," Ruby said. "It was her brother who knocked you down. I think she's gone to visit him. Alone."

Charlie looked confused.

"Her girlfriend took her outside and then she came back all alone and sad," Ruby clarified.

Charlie instantly worried about her. She turned back to Ross and Morag.

"You don't need to worry about Angelo anymore," she said. "He dumped me just now."

"He dumped you?" Morag exploded. "After you were nearly killed?"

Charlie shrugged and then winced. Her body felt like it was on fire.

"I lied to him," she said sadly. "I deserved it. I don't think I ever deserved either of them. It was really only a matter of time till they both realised that."

* * *

The conversation with Brett had been awkward to say the least. He'd wanted to know what she was doing back and what 'that cop' had been doing in the middle of the road. He clearly blamed Charlie entirely for the accident was unwilling to take on any level of responsibility. She'd been polite, expressed concern over his injuries and left as soon as she could. He'd asked if she was sticking around and she'd told him honestly that she had no idea. She didn't know who she was anymore or where she was meant to be. She paused in the corridor as she saw Charlie's family file out of her room. She silently watched them leave and then went to see Charlie herself. She felt sad when she entered the room. Charlie looked so broken.

"Hey," she said softly.

Charlie looked up with tears in her eyes. It felt like she had finally lost her grasp of anything she could dare to feel happy about. Joey moved further into the room. She pulled up a chair, never breaking eye contact.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Like I've been hit by a car."

Charlie forced a smile.

"You scared us all for a while there," Joey ventured.

She gently took Charlie's hand and began to play with her fingers. Charlie was both surprised and thrilled by the affection she was being shown.

"So, Gray broke up with me," Joey said.

Charlie tried not to feel happy about Joey being single again. She tried not to hope.

"Because of the kiss?" she asked. "I'm really sorry if..."

Joey shook her head.

"She forgave me for the kiss," she said. "She left me because she knows that she'll never be 'the one'. She left me because she knows that's your role in my life."

Charlie smiled despite herself.

"Well, uh... Angelo dumped me too," she admitted.

Joey raised her eyebrows.

"He figured out pretty much the same thing."

Joey nodded and continued to stroke Charlie's fingers. They made eye contact again and said more in silence than they could ever have said in words.

"So um... so, maybe when I get out of here, could I... could I take you out on a date?" Charlie asked.

Joey could stop her smile. She lifted Charlie's hand to her lips and kissed it softly.

"I would love that," she said.


	13. Chapter 13

_Here's a little extra in case I disappear. I probably won't be updating tomorrow. My generosity got the better of me and I'm child and kitten sitting all day. But I'll be back soon... ish. Hope you enjoy this. One more chapter to go!_

**Chapter Thirteen**

It was two days before Charlie was up and walking around again. She'd been forced to take sick leave, which frustrated her, although she did appreciate the fact that she didn't have to see Angelo. She dreaded returning and having to work side by side with him. She hoped that his anger would subside enough that life wouldn't become unbearable.

"Hey, sis," Ruby greeted when she entered the house.

Charlie was hobbling around in a hurried bid to get ready. Tonight, she was going on her first date with Joey and she was a nervous wreck. They hadn't seen each other since that afternoon in the hospital and it had taken all of Charlie's will not to call her and ask her over before now. But she wanted to do this right. While Joey had been away, right up until the moment she'd realised that Joey wasn't coming home and she'd wound up in bed with Angelo, Charlie had been planning every possible way she could make things up to her.

"How are you?"

"Missing my necklace," Charlie frowned.

"Jewellery box?"

Charlie frowned at her.

"Gee, why didn't I think of looking there first?" she said sarcastically.

"Sorry!" Ruby replied with a smirk. "Which one are you looking for?"

"The silver pendant that Joey bought for me," Charlie explained.

She stopped in the middle of the room and put her hands on her hips, as if that would make it suddenly jump into her line of vision.

"Wouldn't it be in your Joey Box?" Ruby asked.

Charlie was about to protest and deny she had such a thing but then she remember putting the exact necklace inside, locked away and hidden under the bed. She hugged her sister and hobbled off.

"You look beautiful by the way!" Ruby called after her.

Charlie smiled to herself at the compliment as she knelt on the floor and pulled the Joey Box out. It was only small, largely representative of how quickly Charlie had screwed up their relationship but in it was everything that reminded her of the love of her life. There were photographs, a cinema stub, the cloth rose that Joey had presented her with the first time that she'd made her breakfast in bed, a couple of CD's that they'd listened to together that included _Love Only Hurts_ by Blanche Dubois who had been playing at the time they'd nearly kissed the first time and _Pick You Up _by Dash and Will, the song that had led up to that significant moment. Charlie hadn't looked inside for a long time. It was too painful and life was easier to live if she blocked the memories out. Rummaging around inside, she smiled as she found the necklace she wanted. Joey had been sappy and bought it for her on their week anniversary. Neither of them had realised that they would walk away from each other only a few days afterwards. Coming over a little emotional, Charlie kissed the necklace and then put it round her neck, hoping that Joey would appreciate the sentiment.

"Charlie?" Ruby said awkwardly from the doorway.

"Am I late?" Charlie worried.

She stood up and brushed down the little black dress she was wearing. It came down to the middle of her thigh and the top half was sufficiently low cut. Joey had never tired of telling her just how much she loved her cleavage and that she had single handedly converted her into a 'legs girl'. Apparently she'd never noticed them on women before but that Charlie's legs 'went up to Heaven' and were 'to die for'. Knowing there was a hell of a lot riding on tonight, Charlie was determined to put her best assets forward, even if she was hobbling a little. She frowned when she saw how serious Ruby was.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Angelo's here," Ruby told her.

Charlie's face fell. If there was ever a bad time for him to come over, this was it. He'd be furious to find that she was off out on a date with her ex.

"I tried telling him you were busy but he was insistent. He's in the kitchen."

"I'll talk to him," Charlie said reluctantly.

She looked at the clock on her night stand. She had to be at the Diner in twenty minutes. She didn't have time for this.

* * *

Joey was ridiculously early. She'd been a bag of nervous energy all day and hadn't been able to control herself in getting ready quickly. With time on her hands, she'd gone out to Yabbie Creek in order to buy a new outfit. She'd chosen black sandals with a solid base, smart black trousers and a black top with a pattern along its rather plunging neck line. Her hair was loose and her make up complimentary. She had spent a long time scrutinising herself in the mirror and had finally decided that she would do. She was viewing the evening with a mix of terror and excitement. So much was reliant on tonight. If she and Charlie could work things out then it would be time to look for a job and a place to live and if it went badly, she knew she would want to get the hell out of town. With twenty minutes to go, she headed down to the beach, stopping to sit on a bench before she touched the sand. Looking out at the water calmed her and she breathed in time with the gentle waves that lapped the shore. She would have gone right down to the edge but she was afraid of the sand messing up her clothes. Looking up to the stars, she took in the view.

"Please let this go well," she begged them.

* * *

"You look... lovely," Angelo said.

He immediately wondered where she was going and, more importantly, who with.

"Thanks," Charlie replied. "Did you want something or...?"

"I wanted to apologise," he said, taking a seat at the table.

Charlie hesitated and then sat down in the next chair. He took a deep breath.

"I totally overreacted," he said. "I was just so stunned that you... that you like girls. It's not something I've ever known about you."

"It shocked me too," Charlie admitted.

"And I'm really hurt that you kissed her," Angelo said. "But I overreacted by breaking up with you. I want to forget this whole thing and just move on. What do you think?"

Charlie shifted and the silently shook her head.

"It wasn't a mistake," she said. "You and I aren't meant to be together."

He opened his mouth to protest and looked immediately wounded.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Everything I've said and done with you, it's been real. But if I'm being completely honest, I know that it wasn't right. I was trying to heal my broken heart and while I wish you could have been the person that I could spend my life with..."

"I'm not," Angelo concluded.

"I'm sorry."

He sighed heavily and studied her, wondering why she had to look so beautiful while telling him she didn't love him.

"I take it you're not all dressed up for a night in with a pizza," he said, gesturing to her outfit.

"Joey and I are..."

He nodded quickly and stood to leave, turning back to her when he reached the door.

"I hope you're happy," he said. "I just wish I could have been the one to make you feel that way."

She nodded sadly and watched him leave.

* * *

At two minutes to eight, Joey stood and made her way back to the Diner. She couldn't help but feel surprised that this was the place Charlie had chosen to invite her to. It was very public and one of the town's biggest gossips worked there. If Charlie was intending to keep anything private then she was doing a bad job of it. Standing outside the door, Joey took in a large lungful of air and barely knew what to do with her hands as she waited. She'd decided on black trousers and a white shirt and desperately hoped she looked okay. She smiled when, a couple of minutes later, the familiar blue car pulled into a space. They had certainly had some good times in that car. They'd been sitting in it when Charlie finally admitted her love for Joey. They'd kissed for hours, well into the night before nearly getting very carried away, at which point, wanting to be intimate and express their love for each other, Charlie had called Ruby to say she was working late and then driven them out to a hotel that had witnessed a beautiful night of passion. She blushed at the memories and kept smiling when she saw Charlie's long, slender legs step out of the vehicle and make her way towards her.


	14. Chapter 14

_Well, this is the last chapter. I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. And I hope it's ending on the right note. Emotional Intelligence will finish next (in a few days time) and then I will begin another story. It called _Be With Me _and it's set after Charlie and Joey's first night together. It's a ten chapter piece and I can promise no Hugo-related insanity and horror. For now, enjoy the last chapter of _The One_. And for the record, Malibu and Cranberry juice is lovely, no matter what certain people say! Love always, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Fourteen**

Joey and Charlie gazed at each other for a few moments, smiling and feeling shy.

"You look amazing," Charlie told Joey sincerely, making her blush.

"You look even more beautiful than usual," Joey replied.

Charlie blushed in return and asked her if she was ready to go in.

"Absolutely," Joey said.

She was surprised and pleased when Charlie took her hand, ready to enter the building as a couple. Leah approached them as soon as she spotted them, smiling broadly and leading them to a reserved table near the centre of the room. It was neatly laid and had a candle and a rose in the centre of it. Charlie immediately clocked Colleen peeking out of the kitchen watching them. Leah pulled out first Joey's chair and then Charlie's. They sat down opposite each other and accepted the menus Leah gave them.

"Can I get you something to drink?" she asked.

"Could I have a Malibu and Cranberry Juice please?" Charlie requested.

She was driving but one small spirit would be okay to start the evening. She would switch the soft drinks after the first.

"Of course," Leah said politely.

She was aware that tonight meant the world to Charlie and she was determined to help as much as possible.

"And for you, Joey?"

"Um... that sounds really nice actually," she said. "Could I have one too?"

"Sure," Leah said. "I'll bring them out."

She left Charlie and Joey to get lost in each other's eyes for a brief moment. They smiled at each other and then opened their menus.

"Order absolutely anything you like," Charlie said. "It's completely on me."

"Charlie, you don't have to do that," Joey replied.

Charlie instinctively reached across the table and placed her hand on top of Joey's. Joey was surprised and delighted by the contact. There had been a time when if Joey had tried to hold her hand in public, she'd immediately pulled away. This was certainly a turn up for the books.

"I want to," Charlie told her.

Joey smiled at her, pleased that Charlie hadn't removed her hand. They remained in touch with each other as the perused the menus.

"I think I'll have the tuna steak," Joey decided.

It was one of the meals that she had missed during her time away. No other restaurant made it quite as well as this place.

"How about a starter?" Charlie offered.

"Oh, I don't think I'd manage both. I'm intending dessert!" Joey giggled.

Charlie laughed softly too.

"We could share something," she suggested.

"Okay," Joey said, nodding and burying her head in the menu again.

"Anything jump out at you?" Charlie asked.

"The hummus and pitta bread looks nice," Joey said, wanting to try something she'd never eaten there before.

"Sounds good to me too," Charlie confirmed.

Leah approached their table again and set their drinks down.

"Are you ready to order?" she asked.

"We'd like to share the hummus starter, please," Charlie said. "And for my main, could I have the pasta bake?"

"Sure," Leah said, writing it down.

"And I'll have the tuna steak," said Joey.

Leah finished scribbling and hurried away to get cooking, leaving the couple alone together. The Diner was moderately busy. There was a group of people at a table in one corner, a family in another and a few couples dotted around. Joey hadn't failed to notice that none of the others had candles or roses and she wondered if Charlie had made a special request.

"This is nice," she said. "Being here with you."

Charlie nodded and reached for her hand again.

"I never thought I'd ever have the chance again," she said. "I'm so happy that I have. I... I spent a lot of time playing the past over and over in my mind, wishing I had a chance to do it right."

Joey stroked Charlie's thumb with her own. Neither could help tingling at the touch.

"I just..." Charlie continued. "You're the most special person I've ever met and I... well, you deserve to be treated like a Princess. You deserve good, happy things to happen to you. Dating right back to the beginning, I never treated you well enough. I was so concerned with my own stuff that I kept pushing you into the shadows when you deserved to step into the light. I wanted... I wanted to keep things behind closed doors. I don't think I ever really took you on a proper date – not like this."

Joey held onto Charlie's hand a little more firmly.

"I do get that there were circumstances, Charlie," she said. "I mean, yes, I wish we had done things like this before. I wish I could have gone on a proper date with you and that you would have let me go near you in public. But..."

She sighed a little.

"I do understand that it was hard for you to get your head around us. I feel like I might have pushed too hard, too fast. I always wonder if I hadn't rushed you quite so much, maybe then..."

She trailed off and used her free hand to lift her drink to the lips.

"Mmm," she enthused. "This really is nice!"

Charlie chuckled affectionately. She lifted her own glass.

"To new beginnings?" she proposed a little uncertainly.

"To new beginnings," Joey confirmed.

They clinked and sipped, still holding onto each other.

"And for the record, Joey, you didn't do anything wrong. The mistakes were all mine. And I am so desperate to make up for them."

Leah approached with their starter and two small plates each. Charlie and Joey thanked her and immediately tucked in, dipping the bread in the hummus.

"This is so good," Joey enthused, nibbling her bread.

Charlie could barely take her eyes off her mouth.

"What?" Joey asked worriedly. "Do I have hummus on my face?"

Charlie laughed and assured her that she was clean.

"What then?" Joey wondered.

"I just can't believe I was ever such an idiot as to let you go," Charlie admitted. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me and I..."

She sighed and focussed on their food.

"How about we stop talking about the past?" Joey suggested. "Chasing pain round in circles is just going to make us dizzy. Charlie, I don't know exactly how you feel but I'll lay all my cards on the table. I love you. I want to be with you, if you want me. I want to start again."

Relief surged through Charlie.

"I want to start again too," she said quickly. "I want to be with you."

They beamed at each other and both absently reached for the last bit of pitta bread. Both instantly apologised and offered it to the other.

"No, really," Joey said. "It's yours."

Charlie picked up the slice and tore it in half.

"Split it?" she suggested.

Joey grinned.

"Perfect," she said.

Charlie was just about to hand over Joey's share and then changed her mind. She dipped it into the remaining hummus and offered it directly to Joey's mouth. Joey looked unsure for a moment. This definitely wasn't the Charlie she had dated before. She accepted the offering and they chewed in amused silence. The Charlie that Joey was seated opposite now felt like the Charlie she'd known in private. When they were alone together, Charlie had been so loving. She'd been playful and affectionate. Her kisses had driven Joey wild. But she'd hidden that side of herself away when they'd been out. Now, Charlie appeared so much more comfortable in her own skin, so ready to be the person Joey needed her to be.

"Listen, I'm sorry about the other day," Joey ventured.

She felt terrible for being so aggressive. And for saying she hated her. It wasn't like her to get so angry.

"I thought we weren't focussing on the past?" Charlie teased.

"I know, I just... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I think we both had a lot of issues we needed to work through," Charlie said reasonably. "And besides, it helped us get here tonight, didn't it?"

Joey nodded, pleased that Charlie was prepared to look at it that way. They greeted Leah when she showed up to take their plates away.

"So, will you definitely be sticking around in the Bay?" Charlie asked.

She didn't want to get carried away with things too early.

"Well, I'm not planning on doing the long distance thing," Joey said. "I guess I'll start looking for work and a place to live tomorrow."

"You could always stay..." Charlie began.

"I don't want to put pressure on us," Joey said. "But maybe eventually we could..."

Charlie nodded. Leah approached again with their main courses, both of which looked and smelled delicious. They tucked in immediately

"This is so good!" Joey exclaimed through a mouthful of tuna steak. "I've missed this meal so much!"

Charlie laughed and accepted when Joey offered a forkful of steak out to her. She took the fork into her mouth to taste the piece, overly thrilled at the knowledge that the same fork had touched Joey's lips and tongue. Her heart raced at the mere thought of getting to kiss her again. She blushed as Joey smiled at her, worried that she could read her thoughts. They continued to eat and chatted idly and playfully.

"So, how's everything going at work?" Joey asked.

Charlie nodded and swallowed.

"Yeah, pretty good," she said. "Things got a bit crazy after you left. Poor VJ found a hand in the sand that had been bitten off by a shark and then Roman confessed to killing a colleague when he was in the SAS and he ended up in jail. That was pretty sad."

"How's Nicole coping?" Joey asked.

"She's getting there. She and Ruby hang out a lot but I haven't seen much of her. But at least that means she's keeping out of trouble – as far as I know!"

Joey smiled. Nicole had always been a bit of a troublemaker. She cringed to think of the clumsy pass she'd once made at her. It had barely been a sexual thing, although she did think Nicole was pretty. It was post-Robbo and really, Joey had just wanted to feel normal again. She'd heard about the kiss between Nicole and another girl and hoped she might help her get over the pain she was in. Fortunately, it hadn't worked out and Nicole had turned her down, making way for Charlie to steal her heart.

"I like your necklace, by the way," Joey said.

Charlie touched it, thrilled that Joey had noticed. Joey smiled back at her. They held hands again as soon as they had finished their meals. They exchanged a look as a familiar song began to play. They listened as the lyrics started.

_Trust your breath in me for a moment_

_We'll lose the world_

Both women were immediately taken back to the moment they'd realised just how they felt about each other. The song meant so much to both of them. They automatically held hands, similarly to how they had that day as Blanche Dubois continued to sing.

_She tells me I will always have this,_

_See it on the horizon._

_She tells me sweet nothings of love only hurts._

_And everybody could see it coming_

_As clear as daybreak._

_Truth be told, I could see it coming but_

_I held on anyway_

Charlie felt suddenly overwhelmed with regret. There was so many moments she wished she could go back to in order to make things turn out differently. If only she hadn't run away that day on the boat, perhaps the two of them would have had longer to get used to being together. Perhaps then, if she hadn't run off, panicked and messed Joey about, her fragile heart wouldn't have been so broken that she couldn't survive the next wave of grief. Perhaps then, she might have been forgiven.

_But I didn't do it, I can't undo it;_

_Love only hurts just a little._

Charlie looked Joey directly in the eye.

"Dance with me," she requested.

Joey looked very surprised.

"What?"

Charlie stood, a little awkwardly, what with the pain in her hip, but her resolve was firm.

"Please dance with me," she said.

Joey got to her feet uncertainly and allowed Charlie to take her into her arms. They held each other close as the music played, aware but capable of ignoring the way people were watching them.

_Come, lose your trust in me for a moment,_

_We'll escape the world._

Charlie held Joey close, wondering why, once upon a time, it had mattered that they were both women. She could barely comprehend the feeling of feeling ashamed and afraid of labels. Right now, in a moment where she allowed herself to truly be with Joey, to lose herself in her, nothing mattered. She felt sure that she could handle any labels and judgements. She felt strong and capable and desperately in love.

_But I didn't do it, I can't undo it;_

_Oh, love only hurts_.

"Everything's different now," Charlie said certainly.

"Obviously!" Joey remarked. "I never thought this would happen."

She was gesturing to the fact that they were dancing in a restaurant and neither cared that they were being observed. Charlie leant forward and moved her lips towards Joey's. Their kiss that evening was as gentle and loving as it had been forceful and passionate a couple of days before. They heard a plate clatter to the floor but neither pulled away. Charlie felt like her entire body was on fire as she sought deeper contact with her love. Their lips continued to brush each other and their tongues tentatively touched.

"I love you," Charlie whispered as the song finished and they forced themselves apart.

"I love you too," Joey replied.

They sat back down and Leah reappeared with an affectionate smile to both of them as she cleared their plates away and handed them the dessert menu.

"Would you like me to drive you back to the caravan park after this?" Charlie offered as she attempted to decide between strawberry cheesecake and chocolate fudge.

"Actually, I'd really like to take our desserts and head back to yours," Joey said, feeling bold.

Charlie's eyes widened in surprise but she quickly agreed, almost tripping over her tongue with her eagerness. It made Joey laugh.

"I'm really touched by all the effort you've gone to, Charlie," Joey told her. "I know a big part of tonight for you is trying to prove you've changed. I know you needed it to be public and you wanted Colleen to be here to spread the word."

Both had noticed the older woman picking up the plate she'd dropped when they'd kissed. She'd busied herself very thoroughly as she swept the broken china into a dustpan. Charlie looked worried for a moment. Being out in public had been part of the plan. She knew that if they were to have a future, she needed to be out and proud of loving Joey. Tonight seemed the best place to start. But she hoped it hadn't looked false and contrived.

"It's been the perfect evening," Joey continued. "And I think I can safely assume that you're ready to be with me, that you're not ashamed of yourself or me or how we feel about each other. So now, I think it'd be nice to go somewhere private where we can just be us, be alone together, where we can just be in love."


End file.
